Southern Stir Fry: a long-time favorite

While working on organizing my home office (I've still got a lot of work to do on it), I discovered some cook books and booklets I hadn't seen for awhile.  One is a March 2000 grocery store recipe booklet from Betty Crocker - Easy Vegetarian Classics Go Meatless.  There is one particular recipe that I've been making from this booklet for at least ten years; but I haven't apparently made it anytime recently.  Well, today's the day.  We're having Southern Stir-Fry.  In the recipe the main adaptation I make is in using a 9 or 10 ounces package of frozen spinach that I thaw and drain before adding it to the recipe.  I'll make some cornbread, slice some fresh Kumato tomatoes, and dinner will be served.

Yesterday I went to  the annual Relay for Life chicken dinner, auction, and dance that some friends of ours host.  We've been going to the event for several years and I always look forward to picking up dessert at it.  A couple of year's ago I was the high bidder on a chocolate meringue pie that was to die for!  Last year I picked up a lemon meringue pie (for $100.00!!! - all for a good cause).  This year the person who always bids against me on the pies wasn't at the auction.  But, I didn't bid on a pie.  Instead I bid on this homemade white chocolate raspberry cheesecake with an oreo cookie crust and I won at only $42.50!  Now, I certainly understand that this will completely blow my carbs and calories out of the water today, but I also know that Michael, Mom, and Dad will all be very happy.  Here's a picture of the cheesecake:

I'm very happy to be able to report that our friends' Relay for Life team has raised more than $100,000.00 over the past ten years!  I'm very proud to have been a supporter of their effort.


I'll come back later to let you know how everything turns out.

After dinner thoughts:
Mmmmmm...that was mighty yummy!  In fact, tonight there are no leftovers; we ate all of the stir fry and tomatoes.  This really is one of our very favorite recipes.  I can hardly believe I haven't made this in so long. It's incredibly easy and quite low in calories.  A long time ago, under an older weight watchers points system 1.5 cups of this dish equaled only 3 points!  I don't know what the point count would be today, but it still can't be that much.

The cheesecake was pretty terrific too - and there is plenty of that left.  I'm sending more than half of what is left home with Mom and Dad plus I made a special little container just for my sister Cindy.  I'm sure there are more weight watchers points in one serving of the cheesecake than anyone is supposed to have in one day.  I had half a serving - still too many calories/points, and still quite delicious!

Mushrooms, Asparagus, Cauliflower, and Pineapple - not all in one dish!

I've been semi-following Engine 2 Diet along with Fat Free Vegan Kitchen on Facebook for some time now. Through those two pages I often find intriguing recipes from other sites. That's how I came up with tomorrow's menu. Tomorrow is Easter, but I'm not making any eggs. We're also in the midst of Passover, and I am using some oil. I guess I'm giving a semi-nod to two of the big holidays being celebrated right now.

The only thing that might be considered traditional for dinner this Easter is asparagus, which I plan to roast. We're also going to have either roasted cauliflower or mashed cauliflower. Then, we're going to have Marsala Glazed Mushrooms over wild rice. For dessert we're having Passover Pineapple Crumble.


It makes my mouth water just to think about it. Whatever holiday your family observes, I hope it's all you hope for.

After dinner thoughts...

Dinner was truly yummy!  We had both roasted and mashed cauliflower; I didn't have any half-and-half in the house, so I used fat free plain yogurt instead - I'll do this from now on.  The mushrooms were FABULOUS and I will happily make them again although I may use more than 20 ounces (I cooked 2 ten-ounce packages of baby bella mushrooms).  As you can see in the photos, I served the mushrooms over brown rice; this I would change to wild rice in the future.  The Pineapple Crumble was okay; not something I'll likely make again, but it was alright.